The
next two letters were written just after the death of Mr. John P. Spaulding.

TOMRS. GEORGE H. BRADFORD

New
York, February 4, 1896.

What
can I say which will make you understand how much Teacher and I appreciate
your thoughtful kindness in sending us those little souvenirs of the dear room
where we first met the best and kindest of friends? Indeed, you can never know
all the comfort you have given us. We have put the dear picture on the
mantel-piece in our room where we can see it every day, and I often go and
touch it, and somehow I cannot help feeling that our beloved friend is very
near to me.... It was very hard to take up our school work again, as if
nothing had happened; but I am sure it is well that we have duties which must
be done, and which take our minds away for a time at least from our sorrow....

TO
MISS CAROLINE DERBY

New
York, March 2nd, 1896.

...We
miss dear King John sadly. It was so hard to lose him, he was the best and
kindest of friends, and I do not know what we shall do without him....

We
went to a poultry-show... and the man there kindly permitted us to feel of the
birds. They were so tame, they stood perfectly still when I handled them. I
saw great big turkeys, geese, guineas, ducks and many others.

Almost
two weeks ago we called at Mr. Hutton's and had a delightful time. We always
do! We met Mr. Warner, the writer, Mr. Mabie, the editor of the Outlook and
other pleasant people. I am sure you would like to know Mr. and Mrs. Hutton,
they are so kind and interesting. I can never tell you how much pleasure they
have given us.

Mr.
Warner and Mr. Burroughs, the great lover of nature, came to see us a few days
after, and we had a delightful talk with them. They were both very, very dear!
Mr. Burroughs told me about his home near the Hudson, and what a happy place
it must be! I hope we shall visit it some day. Teacher has read me his lively
stories about his boyhood, and I enjoyed them greatly. Have you read the
beautiful poem, "Waiting"? I know it, and it makes me feel so happy,
it has such sweet thoughts. Mr. Warner showed me a scarf-pin with a beetle on
it which was made in Egypt fifteen hundred years before Christ, and told me
that the beetle meant immortality to the Egyptians because it wrapped itself
up and went to sleep and came out again in a new form, thus renewing itself.

TO
MISS CAROLINE DERBY

New
York, April 25, 1896.

...My
studies are the same as they were when I saw you, except that I have taken
up French with a French teacher who comes three times a week. I read her
lips almost exclusively, (she does not know the manual alphabet) and we
get on quite well. I have read "Le Medecin Malgre Lui," a very
good French comedy by Moliere, with pleasure; and they say I speak French
pretty well now, and German also. Anyway, French and German people
understand what I am trying to say, and that is very encouraging. In
voice-training I have still the same old difficulties to contend against;
and the fulfilment of my wish to speak well seems O, so far away!
Sometimes I feel sure that I catch a faint glimpse of the goal I am
striving for, but in another minute a bend in the road hides it from my
view, and I am again left wandering in the dark! But I try hard not to be
discouraged. Surely we shall all find at last the ideals we are
seeking....

TO
MR. JOHN HITZ

Brewster,
Mass. July 15, 1896.

...As
to the book, I am sure I shall enjoy it very much when I am admitted, by
the magic of Teacher's dear fingers, into the companionship of the two
sisters who went to the Immortal Fountain.

As
I sit by the window writing to you, it is so lovely to have the soft, cool
breezes fan my cheek and to feel that the hard work of last year is over!
Teacher seems to feel benefitted by the change too; for she is already
beginning to look like her dear old self. We only need you, dear Mr. Hitz,
to complete our happiness. Teacher and Mrs. Hopkins both say you must come
as soon as you can! We will try to make you comfortable.

Teacher
and I spent nine days at Philadelphia. Have you ever been at Dr. Crouter's
Institution? Mr. Howes has probably given you a full account of our
doings. We were busy all the time; we attended the meetings and talked
with hundreds of people, among whom were dear Dr. Bell, Mr. Banerji of
Calcutta, Monsieur Magnat of Paris with whom I conversed in French
exclusively, and many other distinguished persons. We had looked forward
to seeing you there, and so we were greatly disappointed that you did not
come. We think of you so, so often! and our hearts go out to you in
tenderest sympathy; and you know better than this poor letter can tell you
how happy we always are to have you with us! I made a "speech"
on July eighth, telling the members of the Association what an unspeakable
blessing speech has been to me, and urging them to give every little deaf
child an opportunity to learn to speak. Every one said I spoke very well
and intelligibly. After my little "speech," we attended a
reception at which over six hundred people were present. I must confess I
do not like such large receptions; the people crowd so, and we have to do
so much talking; and yet it is at receptions like the one in Philadelphia
that we often meet friends whom we learn to love afterwards. We left the
city last Thursday night, and arrived in Brewster Friday afternoon. We
missed the Cape Cod train Friday morning, and so we came down to
Provincetown in the steamer Longfellow. I am glad we did so; for it was
lovely and cool on the water, and Boston Harbor is always interesting.

We
spent about three weeks in Boston, after leaving New York, and I need not
tell you we had a most delightful time. We visited our good friends, Mr.
and Mrs. Chamberlin, at Wrentham, out in the country, where they have a
lovely home. Their house stands near a charming lake where we went boating
and canoeing, which was great fun. We also went in bathing several times.
Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlin celebrated the 17th of June by giving a picnic to
their literary friends. There were about forty persons present, all of
whom were writers and publishers. Our friend, Mr. Alden, the editor of
Harper's was there, and of course we enjoyed his society very much....

TOCHARLES DUDLEY WARNER

Brewster,
Mass., September 3, 1896.

...I
have been meaning to write to you all summer; there were many things I
wanted to tell you, and I thought perhaps you would like to hear about our
vacation by the seaside, and our plans for next year; but the happy, idle
days slipped away so quickly, and there were so many pleasant things to do
every moment, that I never found time to clothe my thought in words, and
send them to you. I wonder what becomes of lost opportunities. Perhaps our
guardian angel gathers them up as we drop them, and will give them back to
us in the beautiful sometime when we have grown wiser, and learned how to
use them rightly. But, however this may be, I cannot now write the letter
which has lain in my thought for you so long. My heart is too full of
sadness to dwell upon the happiness the summer has brought me. My father
is dead. He died last Saturday at my home in Tuscumbia, and I was not
there. My own dear loving father! Oh, dear friend, how shall I ever bear
it!...

On
the first of October Miss Keller entered the Cambridge School for Young
Ladies, of which Mr. Arthur Gilman is Principal. The
"examinations" mentioned in this letter were merely tests given
in the school, but as they were old Harvard papers, it is evident that in
some subjects Miss Keller was already fairly well prepared for Radcliffe.

TOMRS. LAURENCE HUTTON

37
Concord Avenue, Cambridge, Mass.

October
8, 1896.

...I
got up early this morning, so that I could write you a few lines. I know
you want to hear how I like my school. I do wish you could come and see
for yourself what a beautiful school it is! There are about a hundred
girls, and they are all so bright and happy; it is a joy to be with them.

You
will be glad to hear that I passed my examinations successfully. I have
been examined in English, German, French, and Greek and Roman history.
They were the entrance examinations for Harvard College; so I feel pleased
to think I could pass them. This year is going to be a very busy one for
Teacher and myself. I am studying Arithmetic, English Literature, English
History, German, Latin, and advanced geography; there is a great deal of
preparatory reading required, and, as few of the books are in raised
print, poor Teacher has to spell them all out to me; and that means hard
work.

You
must tell Mr. Howells when you see him, that we are living in his
house....

TO
MRS. WILLIAM THAW

37
Concord Avenue, Cambridge, Mass.,

December
2, 1896.

...It
takes me a long time to prepare my lessons, because I have to have every
word of them spelled out in my hand. Not one of the textbooks which I am
obliged to use is in raised print; so of course my work is harder than it
would be if I could read my lessons over by myself. But it is harder for
Teacher than it is for me because the strain on her poor eyes is so great,
and I cannot help worrying about them. Sometimes it really seems as if the
task which we have set ourselves were more than we can accomplish; but at
other times I enjoy my work more than I can say.

It
is such a delight to be with the other girls, and do everything that they
do. I study Latin, German, Arithmetic and English History, all of which I
enjoy except Arithmetic. I am afraid I have not a mathematical mind; for
my figures always manage to get into the wrong places!...